Figuring out the speechbox

I don't think 'speechbox' is the actual term, it's probably 'textbox' but AGS has a user-friendly textbox option for speech, however I hadn't figured out how to make it so that it not only used my own custom image for the box, but to have the face portrait within the box. This is my work-around.

Maybe one of these days, I'll look over this blog and make a guide, 'how to' PDF or series of videos for anyone who'd be intersted in a more coherent explination of things.

I'm definitely going to need a proof reader, while I am confident with my spelling and grammar, when it comes to explaining how things work, I'm often quite a mess (as evidenced in the video).

--Iddie

Back up, I'm backed up

No progress on the actual game at all, I did try to write the script for the intro sequence though but I haven't gone past two or so sentences.

Recently I've been occupied by being a chauffuer for my parents and trying to get some editing done for a couple of voice acting jobs I've cinched.

(And yes, admittedly a bit of procastionation, though for the most part, the game had not been in my mind much this week. Good thing I decided to at least try to blog about BOA weekly though, or else I may have forgotten about the game for months, this blog actually helped! Yay!).

That's all folks!

--Iddie

Hover, hover!

I certainly have been slacking off with the development of this game, however, at least I managed to make some semblance of progress and that is figuring out how to make the exclamation icon hover above the character's head and follow the player character whilst they are under a hotspot/region.

(NB: Image has been edited to show it works on both hotspots)

Initially I tried to script the function via this complicated string of global scripting, but I found out it was much simpler and less hassle to impliment a much shorter script (how many times can I say 'script' in one sentence?) by a room to room basis. 

In all honesty, I might not do much in coming weeks, I'll still try my best to at least add a little more to the project every week though; there's a saying where I come from "Sikit, sikit jadi bukit" which roughly translates to "Little by little it becomes a mountain"...just like my weight.

(ha ha...ha...*sobs*)

--Iddie

Here's a reflection

So I'm here typing up the weekly blog update for 'Book of Akiva' (let's call it BOA from now on), with nothing to update on.

I feel it's still worth blogging something, like putting a mark on the deadline, or for reflections like this, that should help me stay motivated to complete this game.

While I have missed the demo deadline and I haven't added onto the assets since the last blog post, I'm still quite proud of what I have had managed to achieve. I've implemented a GUI (at least part of it) that I only dreamed of doing over a decade ago.

I know I could do better with the art, but I've found a style that is satisfactory enough for me to quickly (loosely speaking) put together and be like "yeah, I'll move on to something else". Maybe one of these days I'll create a project with the intention of pushing my visual art skills to the limit? Who knows?

I have friends who are interested in voice acting for the project, friends who I have leaned onto in the past, in other words, people I know who will deliver.

This month, it's all about completing the demo, then I'll go back to my written schedule.

I wouldn't be surprised if this game took abotu a year to make *knock wood* I'm hoping it would at most be 6 months, but who am I kidding? I just need to keep up the momentum.

Here's to effort and passion,
Here's to ambition,

--Iddie